Purpose. The effects of pressure conditions, both hyperbaric and hypobaric, on the flow rate of an elastomeric infusion pump were investigated. Methods. The altered pressure conditions were tested with the restrictor outlet at two different conditions: (1) at the same pressure condition as the Infusor elastomeric balloon and (2) with the outlet exposed to ambient conditions. Five different pressure conditions were tested. These included ambient pressure (98-101 kilopascals [kPa]) and test pressures controlled to be 10 or 20 kPa below or 75 or 150 kPa above the ambient pressure. A theoretical calculation based on the principles of fluid mechanics was also used to predict the pump's flow rate at various ambient conditions. Results. The conditions in which the Infusor elastomeric pump and restrictor outlet were at the same pressure gave rise to average flow rates within the Â±10% tolerance of the calculated target flow rate of 11 mL/hr. The flow rate of the Infusor pump decreased when the pressure conditions changed from hypobaric to ambient. The flow rate increased when the pressure conditions changed from hyperbaric to ambient. Conclusion. The flow rate of the Infusor elastomeric pump was not affected when the balloon reservoir and restrictor outlet were at the same pressure. The flow rate varied from 58.54% to 377.04% of the labeled flow rate when the pressure applied to the reservoir varied from 20 kPa below to 150 kPa above the pressure applied to the restrictor outlet, respectively. The maximum difference between observed flow rates and those calculated by applying fluid mechanics was 4.9%.

The introduction of syringe drivers revolutionised the management of symptoms in palliative care. However, in 2005, Graham and Clarke recounted anecdotal awareness that patients and family caregivers sometimes considered being prescribed a syringe driver to administer medications as a "harbinger...

Each year thousands of anesthetics are undertaken using the Baxter InfusOR syringe pump. Anesthesia providers use various configurations, consisting of 20-, 30-, or 60-mL syringes, when delivering propofol with this syringe pump. The Baxter InfusOR syringe pump uses the smart label system to...

The article discusses the developments in the health care industry in the U.S. as of mid-2013. It reports on the move by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the use of neostigmine methylsulfate injection in reversing the effects of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents...

OBJECTIVE--Children and adults with type 1 diabetes who receive insulin pump therapy have reported hypoglycemia during air travel. We studied the effects of atmospheric pressure on insulin pump delivery. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Ten insulin pumps were connected to capillary, tubes. The...

Objective: To evaluate the effects of intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB) in patients with severe spasticity. Material and Methods: Patients who had a baclofen pump implanted between 2004-2012 were included in the study. The inclusion criteria were severe spasticity with nonresponse to medical...

Background: Lack of compliance with drug libraries among users of smart infusion pumps undermines the efforts to prevent intravenous medication errors. There are little data on drug library use in Australian clinical practice and the barriers to compliance and effective use remain uncertain....